Local citizens state concerns over state waterways

By BRYCE KELLY

Mt. Pleasant News

Drainage districts feeding high levels of nitrate in Iowa?s waterways is headline news at the moment, especially in the lower Mississippi River area. With so much noise surrounding the issue, it?s easy to get lost in the details and make sense of what lawmakers are doing about the issue.

For local residents like Ron Wyse, a little clarity was desired in regard to water quality control, especially in terms of how it relates to Henry County. In hopes of finding answers, Wyse and a few other locals voiced their concerns and posed questions to the Henry County Board of Supervisors on Thursday during the board?s morning meeting.

?Myself, along with many others in Henry County, are doing investigative work on the quality of water in Iowa and we are simply looking for answers to some of our questions,? said Wyse.

Although the Henry County Board of Supervisors was unable to give much feedback to many of Wyse?s questions concerning agriculture storm water run-off, what entity is charged with monitoring nitrate levels in Iowa?s waterways and what area of Henry County is the biggest contributor to the issue, Joe Buffington, Henry County?s planning and zoning administrator, was able to shed some light on the subjects.

?Run-off for the whole county and the whole state of Iowa is managed by the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit,? Buffington explained. ?Counties are required to get those permits if they are doing roadwork or other types of work that disturbs more than one acre of ground. Farmers who farm fields are exempt from having to get that permit. This rule is established by the federal level, not at the state or local level of government.?

According to government-issued statistics and studies read by Buffington, Iowa has less than desirable levels of nitrates in state waterways.

?Agriculture storm water run-off is one of the biggest contributors to Iowa?s poor water quality. In the last government study that was done, Iowa?s streams had 50 percent more pollution in them than its surrounding states. In addition, Iowa has the most altered landscape in the entire United States. We have touched almost every part of the state?s landscape by plowing and so on. In a majority of Iowa, the practice of buffering fields so they are not right up against the edge of rivers and streams is not seen much.?

Another large problem, Buffington and Wyse say, is that local government cannot require farmers to buffer their fields.

Although the Henry County Supervisors sympathized with the issue, they admit that they have no real say in how the issues surrounding nitrate pollution are handled from a governmental level as much of that is decided at a state and federal level. However, the supervisors did suggest that speaking with the DNR might be a good place to start for locals that want their voices to be heard on the matter and their questions answered.

Besides talk on Iowa?s water quality, county supervisors also heard a public health and budget report from Henry County Health Center?s Robb Gardner and Travis Johnson.

In terms of the proposed budget for Henry County?s public health in fiscal year 2016, an 11 percent increase in funding was requested. In total, $275,000 is being budgeted for public health nursing, homemaker services and HCHC?s newborn home visitor program.

The increase in budget, according to Johnson, does have a connection to a loss of several grants that the government had been issuing.

Besides the financial side of public health, a quick overview of hospital trends in Iowa was also shared. From Jan. to May of 2014 compared to Jan. to May of 2013, Iowa saw fewer hospital admissions and shorter hospital stays. This, according to Johnson, is a direct statistic that points to the statewide and nationwide shift that is beginning to show a focus on transitional home healthcare.

?Home health visits are up almost 16 percent. While shorter hospital stays are being seen, that doesn?t necessarily mean that people are leaving the hospital completely healthy, as much as I wish that were the case,? explained Johnson. ?Patients are not going to be in the hospitals like they used to be. Insurance companies are not going to support it; the funding is not going to be there in that way and people are going to be staying at home.

?Transitional care allows patients to go home quicker and be visited by a nurse that can help them with their medications, follow-up appointments and that sort of thing. It?s definitely a trend we are seeing and are likely going to continue to see.?

According to Johnson?s report, emergency room visits are also showing a 1.4 percent increase in use.

The next Henry County Board of Supervisors meeting will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 9 a.m., in the Henry County Courthouse.